If a Tyrant Becomes a Father

My hands were trembling. I had never expected Collis to harm the children, let alone threaten them. It was unimaginable. Collis herself loved Lucerne and wanted to protect him. Although we weren’t their biological mothers, the feelings were the same—we wanted to protect them as if they were our own. How could this happen?

It felt like a lightning bolt struck my mind. My thoughts flashed white, then turned pitch black as I struggled to process the situation. My breath became ragged, and maintaining composure became increasingly difficult. I rushed out of the children’s room.

Lucerne followed me silently, closing the door behind him. “I’m sorry,” I said, unable to utter the words “Don’t apologize.”

“I never expected her to go this far,” Lucerne responded.

“…” I listened in silence.

“Originally, I had protected this palace with magic to prevent instant teleportation into it. If anyone, other than me, could use magic to teleport inside, my life would be in grave danger. Moreover, instant teleportation to a place one has never visited before is impossible… I let my guard down,” Lucerne explained.

Lucerne closed his eyes, and I could sense heaviness in his voice as he continued, “I never expected her to risk her life and teleport into the palace.”

 

While calmly spoken, his words sent shivers down my spine. She had risked her life to take Geo.

“Normally, if someone tries, their breath should be cut off immediately. But somehow, it seems she paid with magic, her future, or something else to attempt teleportation,” Lucerne sighed, his face showing weariness.

“I’m truly sorry,” he added.

I clenched my fist. “Don’t apologize. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“But if I had piled up more layers of defensive magic…”

“Did you think Collis couldn’t break through? Arguing over right and wrong like this won’t end.”

“…You’re right.”

 

Lucerne lowered the hand covering his face and looked at me with tired eyes. “Only now you say that. You’re becoming someone else when it comes to the children’s matters.”

Is that so? I tilted my head slightly but didn’t dwell on it. What mattered now wasn’t that discussion.

“Lucerne, please take me to Collis.”

“No. I will go to her alone.”

“What Collis wants is me. I’ll go and negotiate.”

“She wants your life. There’s no room for negotiation.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

 

“What?” Lucerne’s face, which had opened in surprise, twisted harshly. Blue lights gathered around him as if they were going to burst like small fireworks.

“What does that mean? You’re not suggesting exchanging your life for Geo, are you?”

“If I have to, I will.”

“No. I won’t allow that.” Without hesitation or doubt, Lucerne turned away.

I quickly ran and grabbed Lucerne’s arm, turning him back. “We have to save Geo! If you don’t take me and something happens to the child, what will you do?”

“…”

“What will you do if something happens to me when I go alone, leaving Geo behind? Do you want that?”

Lucerne, who had been looking at the ground, bit his lips. But his feelings didn’t become words and come out.

I pushed further. “I have to be taken to Collis. I won’t go alone. You can come with me. After saving Geo safely, if you still want to, we can fight Collis to the death.”

Lucerne’s gaze, which had been on the ground, slowly rose. But his heart didn’t become words and come out.

I urged him. Lucerne stayed silent.

“I know it sounds brutal. I know there’s a chance of failure. Even knowing that, I’m asking you. Please, Lucerne. My request is anything you’d grant, right?”

I emphasized the word ‘request,’ putting all my strength into it. With every passing word, my heart ached. The anxiety about what might happen to Geo constantly gnawed at me.

Thump, thump, thump, thump—my heart raced faster than I could believe.

“I’m begging you, please.” Please. I wished with all my might.

Feeling stifled and on the verge of losing my mind, Lucerne slowly turned to face me. He looked over my trembling hand, which was still holding onto him and my quivering shoulders before locking eyes with me. His lips, which had remained sealed until now, finally spoke.

“You’re cruel to the very end.”

“…I’m sorry,” I said.

Lucerne released my hand from his grip. “If you’re asking, then fine. I’ll take you to Collis.”

Thank goodness! I gripped his offered hand firmly with both of mine. I looked up at Lucerne, but he avoided meeting my eyes. He gently pressed his lips against the back of my hand before letting go.

 

“I will protect you, to the point where Collis won’t be able to lay a finger on you.” His voice was heavy, almost as if he were scared. I couldn’t bring myself to rush him, so I waited for Lucerne to lead the way.

The falling raindrops turned into a downpour. Lucerne, who had brought me to his room, took out a velvet pouch from a drawer. The gems inside emitted a light that spilled beyond the pouch’s boundaries. He plucked one bead from the pouch, holding it in his hand while fastening the rest to his waist.

“This is a teleportation bead, made by Collis herself. You simply need to hold it and think of the place you want to go. It’s not difficult or dangerous, but make sure you’re clear about where you want to go; otherwise, it won’t work. Keep this in mind, in case you ever need it by yourself.”

Lucerne extended the hand without the bead to me. “Make sure to hold on tight, and don’t let go. It can be risky if you release it midway.”

“I understand,” I said, clasping his outstretched hand with both of mine. Lucerne held my hand firmly, and then he closed his eyes. I followed suit, and as darkness crept behind my eyelids, a blue light spread, making my stomach lurch like I was aboard a ship. When the light vanished, and darkness enveloped me, I felt disoriented.

As I started to perceive the darkness, Collis’s voice reached my ears. “You’ve finally arrived.”

I slowly opened my eyes. The sky around the tower was as dark as a stormy night, and the rain still poured relentlessly.

The laboratory remained the same as before, filled with bookshelves, piled up experimental equipment on desks, and bizarre symbols painted on the ceiling and floor, just like something out of a comic book. The only difference was a large earth bead placed on one side of the expansive laboratory. I recognized it instantly as Geo.

“Geo!” There was no response.

Lucerne took my hand and moved forward, protecting me. Collis looked like he had lost a substantial amount of weight, and he appeared so frail that he might collapse at any moment. The dark circles under his eyes were prominent, and his face looked hardened. Seti might have mistaken her for a ghost.

“You chose that woman over me,” Collis muttered.

“Release Geo, please.”

“Always choosing the woman.”

I tried to approach Collis quickly, but Lucerne blocked my way.

“What would you like me to do if you don’t like it?”

“He’ll die.”

“No!”

I broke free from Lucerne’s grip and rushed toward the earth bead.

“Geo, Geo! Are you okay? Are you inside?”

While there was no clear response, I could hear a faint rumbling sound from inside the earth bead, and it seemed to move slightly.

Is he inside? Could he be hurt?

In my haste, I reached out to the surface of the earth bead, intending to break it open.

Snap! A burst of blue light pushed me away.

Stinging like an electric shock, I grabbed my aching hand and turned around.

“Collis! What have you done to Geo?”

Collis chuckled and shrugged her shoulders.

“I did bring him here, but I didn’t lay a finger on him. He created the earth bead himself. Considering the bad weather, I cast a protective spell just in case, but that’s it.”

“What?”

“The child will be safe, no one will be able to lay a finger on him.”

“What nonsense is this? Trapped inside the earth bead, he can’t eat or drink!”

“That’s true.”

Collis elegantly extended her hand toward me.

“In case something happens to the child, I’ve cast a spell to protect him. Don’t be too angry. Don’t you see? If you abandon Lucerne and come to me, I’ll release him.”

“How…?”

How could I not be furious…!

I wanted to shout, but my throat felt constricted. I forcefully swallowed the heavy and burning lump that seemed to block my windpipe, and my eyes welled up with tears. I could only glare at Collis.

Perhaps thinking she had the upper hand, Collis continued in a smug tone.

“Don’t take too long to decide. I don’t even know how long the child can endure within that bead, to be honest.”

Lucerne was quicker to react than me. With measured steps, he approached, extending his hand. A blue sword materialized in the air. Firmly gripping the massive blade, he stood beside me and raised his arm high.

Collis’s face filled with ecstasy.

“Yes, Lucerne! You decided to kill me with your own hands instead of sending her away!”

As if it would ever come to that.

I instinctively moved to the side.

Lucerne, apparently paying no attention to me, swung his sword down at the earth bead. A thunderous crash echoed through the building. Dust and paper flew chaotically as the ground shook.

Dust and paper flew chaotically as the ground shook.

Collis, shielding her face with her hands, shouted, “It’s useless, Lucerne! I specially crafted this defensive magic to protect you and me! It won’t disappear until I personally remove it!”

Lucerne, who had been pushing away the protective barrier surrounding the earth bead with his sword, lowered his arm. The dust settled, and despite the tremendous noise, not a scratch appeared on the protective shield encasing the earth bead.

“As expected, you are formidable, Collis.”

“Lucerne, no matter how strong you are, you can’t penetrate my defensive magic.”

Splash! A blood-red droplet fell to the ground. I was startled by the unexpected event and covered my mouth, stepping back.

Lucerne’s sword had passed through Collis’s abdomen and emerged from her back.

“Luc…!”

“I am aware that with my abilities alone, I cannot breach your defenses. Haven’t you spent your life researching how to use magic effectively?”

Collis clenched her teeth but couldn’t continue speaking.

“However, I also understand the principles of magic as well as you do. Rather than unraveling powerful and complex magic, isn’t it easier to kill or injure the caster, rendering them unable to maintain the spell?”

My goodness.

Lucerne’s sword turned into a blue light and disappeared, while Collis coughed up blood.

 

 

Translator’s Note

Hey there, First things first, apologies for leaving you hanging for the past two months. College life has been a whirlwind of assignments and exams, but fear not! I’m back to bring you more of this exciting story.  However, please bear with me; the release schedule might still be a tad slow due to my college commitments. But don’t worry, we’ll get through this adventure together, one chapter at a time!  Happy reading!